Eight Ways to See The Whole Horse Picture
Help yourself solve bucking, rearing, head tossing, shying, barging,
freezing, cold-backed, any horse training challenge you encounter.

See the Whole Picture in Horse Behavior

Solving problems with horse behavior, or just learning to understand them better and create a more
satisfying relationship is most successful when you think of yourself as detective.  

A detective doesn’t solve a crime by going to the crime scene, looking around and immediately arresting
someone.  Instead, she gathers information –clues -  until she can form a theory about what happened, or
who did it.  Then she looks for more clues to support or disprove her theory until she feels she’s got the
Whole Picture.  Even after arresting the suspect she continues to look for information to support or disprove
her theory.  

In order to have the deep connection with horses that most of us crave, and to change behavior that we don’
t want, we need to look at as many “clues” as possible to  get the Whole Picture of what may be causing
the behavior, before we begin applying “solutions” – like different bits, etc, etc.

Here are some guidelines to help you notice clues that will lead you to the Whole Picture of your horse’s
behavior


EIGHT WAYS TO SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE

1.        CONFORMATION: Step back and look at the picture of the whole horse.  Does his conformation
match his job?  Which features of his conformation make it natural for him to do his job? Which features
make it difficult or impossible for him to do his job.? If you can’t see these features, get  a more
knowledgeable friend, trainer, or even veterinarian to help you. And be open minded about what they have
to say. Remember, they are not trying to tell you if your horse is “bad” or  “good”, just if his body is
suitable for the work you want him to do. The series of conformation books by Deb Bennet are down to
earth and easy to follow.

2.        CHARACTER:  What is your horse’s inherent character? Watch your horse. Write down the things
you notice about what she likes or dislikes, the ways that she consistently acts, carries her body, what
food makes her feel best and any thing else you notice consistently. Is you horse sensitive and reactive?
Stoic and steady? Intelligent? Dull? What combination of characteristics does your horse have?

This information helps you direct your training program to be the easiest and most effective for both of
you. The five element system, from oriental medicine,  is one way to understand your horse’s basic
character and can help you know how your horse experiences the world, what time of year is most
comfortable for her, what kind of weather is hard on her, what is her basic personality, and what kind of
training and sport best suits her.  Linda Tellington-Jones character analysis system is another way to get a
read on your horses personality

3.        ENVIRONMENT: Is the environment your horse lives in healthy for horses in general?  Is it
healthy for your horse? Some horses can live happily in a stall and a small paddock as long as they have
attention and exercise. Some need the wide open spaces. All horses need shelter from freezing rain and
wind, and shade in hot temperatures, access to plenty of clean water, regular opportunities to run, clean
nutritious food,  fresh air and sunshine, and “herd interaction” whether it comes from you or other horses,
and most need interaction with other horses.What does your horse need? If your horse is unhappy, his
environment may be a huge contributor.  Try changing his environment and see what the effect is on his
behavior.

4.        TACK:  The most common source of riding problems I see in conducting clinics or doing private
bodywork sessions for horses is poor saddle fit. Learn how to know if your saddle fits, or hire a
professional at least once a year to assess your saddle fit.  Imagine yourself running a race, playing a game
of soccer, or basketball or any other active sport with a pair of shoes that hurt your feet with every step,
and wearing a back pack. This will give you some idea how your horse feels wearing a bad fitting saddle and
being asked to work carrying you on top of it.  Other equipment can also give horses problems. Be sure to
notice if anything else your horse is wearing rubs or causes pain for your horse.  Blankets are another
common source of discomfort for horses, so make sure yours fits properly.  Most horses do not need
blanketing in Central Texas weather except in extreme weather.

5.        CONDITION:This refers to the overall look of your horse. Is your horse muscled or flabby.  Does
he look slick and sleek?  Is he chubby or skinny?  Does he shed out quickly and have a great shiny coat, or
is his coat rough, dry, or shaggy?  These questions can help determine how good your horse feels and if he
can do the work you are asking. They will be indicators of whether or not he is getting good nutrition. If
your horse is not in good condition, or is not getting the right nutrition, he may not be able to do what you
are asking of him.

Getting your horse in the condition required for most equine sports takes time, organization and effort on
your part. Expecting your horse to do vigorous work while carrying you, without first conditioning her is
asking for injuries and uncooperative behavior. Walking around the paddock or pasture does not generally
prepare your horse for any type of riding. If your pastures are really large and hilly, and your horse is
required to walk a lot in order to get food and water he will have some level of condition, and can probably
carry you on short trail rides without pain, but if you are in pain after a ride because of being out of
condition, you can pretty much count on your horse feeling the same way. Be sure to build up the time and
difficulty of your workouts gradually.    

6.        NUTRTION: Educate yourself about horse nutrition. There is a world of great information out
there in books, articles and on the internet. Remember that every horse is an individual and what works
best for one may not necessarily work for others.  If you think your horse may be having problems with
digestion, or allergies consult an expert who is not trying to sell you feed or supplements. Like a holistically
oriented vet, or equine nutritionist, or other holistic horse health professional.
Our habit of the last twenty years or so is to keep horses confined to areas that cannot supply their food
needs. We the feed them diets that supply exactly the same nutrients, or lack of nutrients for years at a
time. Often these diets supply little or no fresh foods and are lacking in enzymes and digestible nutrients.
As a result, I see a huge percentage of horses who have gut problems, are insulin resistant, or have
Cushings-like symptoms, even though they may not have Cushings. Horses need fresh forage with a variety
of grasses and herbs to get the nutrients they need.  Corn, and most other grains and soybeans do not
meet the nutrition needs of horses, and often cause inflammation and hind gut permeability over time.
Other things like beet pulp and rice bran, timothy and orchardgrass hay are much more digestible and
nutritionally compatible for horses. Learning about good nutrition for horses should be a high priority.

7.        OLD INJURIES OR LAMENESS: There are few perfect horses. Usually by the time they reach
training age they have received some injuries, and if you are riding a “golden age” gem, they often have
physical limitations of some kind. Pay attention to your horse’s gait, to any bumps, dips, persistant
stiffness, head bobbing, or feeling “unequal” underneath you.  These things may not limit what you are doing
now but may limit your horse from taking on other or more strenuous work.  If your horse is having some
problems doing what you want, this may be a source.  If you are really convinced you want to jump fences
or run barrels or do reining or dressage and your horse is having some difficulties now, you may need to
consider another horse for those more challenging activities.  That said, be sure to look at the whole
picture and try a holistic approach to healing before coming to that conclusion.

8.        HORSE PSYCHOLOGY: Educate yourself about the way horses think.  Learn what their basic
mental, emotional and spiritual needs are for happiness.  There are several great books written about horse
psychology and many articles. Marthe Kiley Worthington has done an incredible amount of research on how
horses think. You can find her works on the internet. Read. Watch horses in natural interaction with each
other. Spend time  watching them when they are out with other horses. Take what makes sense to you and
let the rest Rest.  

Many of us connect to horses in what I would call a “spiritually uplifting” way. This is not about religion, but
about the Great Spirit, or Mother Nature, or what ever you want to call the unseen life force that
connects us all. Horses provide an opening for many people to connect to that in a world that often distances
us from it. For many of us, it is that feeling that makes being with horses so wonderful.  Horses also
benefit from that connection.  In all your striving to be better, learn more, win a competition, or solve
problems, remember to feel that connection, appreciate your horse for it and be grateful. If you want your
relationship with horses to be a dance, you must remember that your horse is your partner.


Penny Stone has been a horse professional for over 27 years. Her experience includes teaching, training,
stable and farm management,and equine bodywork. A graduate of Merideth Manor International School of
Horsemanship, she is also certified as a Practitioner II by Linda Tellington-Jones, and has REIKI and
Myofascial release certification. She currently offers horse training, lessons, equine bodywork, low level
laser therapy, and green horse ranch consulting. You can book her for workshops or clinics.

All these factors (and more) can help you decide how to best support your horse’s health and well being for
the best performance, behavior and relationship you can have.  
For more education about Whole Horse training and healing, call Penny Stone for clinics or private training,
at 512-847-9968.

For a deeper look,Penny's Ebook gives you guiding principles and training truths that
will improve your horse life no matter what your level of "horsesmarts"!  Click here
to order

Whole Horse Power two day, hands on clinic:
You will learn:
How to be the gentle leader,
How to you calm your horse in any situation
Basic saddle fit
Basic gait analysis
How to understand your horse’s character
Ground work for better balance, focus, cooperation, harmony
How your horse wants to be led
T-Touches for calming, for reducing pain, for reducing swelling
T-Touches to earn your horse’s respect and trust
How to see the whole picture to solve problems

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EIGHT WAYS TO SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE
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